Inspired by the Triple Triad mini-game in Final Fantasy 8, Square Tactics is the first original game that I completed. I have iterated on Square Tactics four times, adding game text abilities to each card, expanding the number of character cards from 24 to 72, adding action cards, and adding support for up to 4 players.
I used to have print-on-demand and drop-ship fulfillment set up with a company to make physical copies of the game purchasable - but a decrease in the quality and increase in price from that company has compelled me to remove the listing. I have created print-at-home friendly files below so you can print and play with your own copy of Square Tactics!
Everything you need in one PDF -
SquareTactics-PrintAndPlay-Complete.pdf
- Or - the elements individually:
Rulebook -
SquareTactics-PrintAndPlay-Rulebook.pdf
Character Cards -
SquareTactics-PrintAndPlay-CharacterCards.pdf
Action Cards -
SquareTactics-PrintAndPlay-ActionCards.pdf
2-Player Playmat -
SquareTactics-PrintAndPlay-2PlayerPlaymat.pdf
4-Player Playmat -
SquareTactics-PrintAndPlay-4PlayerPlaymat.pdf
Refer to the Rulebook pdf document above for the full rules.
Setup
- For a two player game, Square Tactics is played using 9 spaces - three by three in a square grid.
- Each player takes the 18 character cards from one faction (Aliens, Bots, Cats, or Ninjas) and sits across from each other.
- Shuffle your 18 character cards together to form your character deck.
- Draw three cards from your character deck to create your starting hand.
- Determine one player to go first.
Turn Details
1. Play
- Play one character card from your hand to an open space on the board.
- The character card you play must be placed “right side up” from your perspective.
2. Process
- Compare the numbers on your character card you just played to each of your opponents’
adjacent character cards. Always process starting with your character’s top number first,
then continue around your card clockwise (top, right, bottom, left).
When comparing each side with an opponents’ character’s number:
- If your card's number is higher: capture their card from the board (keep it until
the end of the game) then continue processing.
- If it is a tie: do NOT remove their card, just continue processing.
- If your card's number is lower: do NOT remove their card and STOP processing. Your card
stays on the board, but you do not get to capture their card or process any more numbers
around your card.
3. Draw
- Draw one card from the top of your character deck into your hand.
- If your deck runs out, continue playing the game as normal until all cards have been played.
End of the Game
The game ends when both players have played all of their cards, or it can end early if
the board is completely filled and no spaces are open.
Determine how many points you have as follows:
- 1 point for each opponent’s character card you captured.
- 1 point for each corner space on the board your characters occupy.
- 2 points for each side space on the board your characters occupy.
- 3 points if your character occupies the middle space on the board.
- The player with the most points wins the game!